The Alexander Group Finds New CFO for Kaleido Biosciences

May 31, 2018 – Houston-based executive search firm The Alexander Group has placed Joshua Brumm as chief financial officer of Kaleido Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Bedford, MA. Managing director Beth Ehrgott led the assignment.

“We are excited to welcome Josh to our executive team at Kaleido,” said Michael Bonney, chairman and CEO. “He has a proven track record of guiding life science companies through significant growth, including leading financing transactions, business development, strategic planning and product and medical device launches. Josh will play an integral role in our efforts to continue to advance Kaleido’s pipeline and innovative, capital-efficient discovery and development model. He also shares our team’s drive to pioneer new approaches that can transform patients’ lives.”

Mr. Brumm, an accomplished CFO with extensive financial and operational experience, has more than a decade of operations, finance and investment banking experience in the life science industry. Most recently, he served as CFO and chief operating officer at Versartis Inc., where he oversaw the company’s financial strategy, helped negotiate the organization’s first product partnership and led the completion of a $145 million initial public offering.

Prior to that, he was EVP of finance and principal financial officer at Pharmacyclics Inc. and CFO at ZELTIQ Aesthetics Inc. In both roles, he was responsible for the strategic planning, development and leadership of the corporate finance organization. Mr. Brumm also was director of finance at Proteolix, helping in the sale of the company to Onyx Pharmaceuticals. Over the course of his career in corporate finance, Mr. Brumm has raised more than $700 million in equity financings, completed two initial public offerings and in 20014 was named Silicon Valley Business Journal’s CFO of the Year for companies under $500 million. He also held investment banking roles at Citigroup Global Markets and Morgan Stanley.

“I’m honored to join a company that is committed to transforming the way we treat disease and manage human health by exploring the power of the microbiome,” said Mr. Brumm. “I look forward to working with an extraordinary team to realize Kaleido’s exciting growth prospects and to translate innovative microbiome science into new advances for patients.”

Kaleido Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company engaged in the development of novel chemistries that unlock the power of the microbiome to revolutionize health. The company built the first R&D engine to systematically create, discover and develop interventions that activate metabolic processes in the microbiome to treat disease and maintain health.

Veteran Recruiters

The Alexander Group is an executive search firm focused on C-suite executive and board level searches. For more than 30 years, the firm has focused on executive recruiting and consulting assignments for a wide range of clients including multinational corporations, professional services firms and non-profit organizations worldwide. The firm has offices in Houston, London, New York, Park City, San Diego and San Francisco.

Ms. Ehrgott, head of Alexander Group’s global life sciences practice, has more than 30 years of both global and national business development and executive search expertise. She has conducted searches for top research and development, medical, commercial, finance, business development, tech ops, information technology, legal, compliance, diversity and inclusion, and human resources talent for Fortune 500 companies as well as emerging growth clients across all industries including pharmaceutical, generics, biotech, medical device, consumer package goods, manufacturing, non-profit, retail, investment banking, financial services and professional services consulting firms. Prior to joining the Alexander Group, Ms. Ehrgott was head of talent acquisition for Europe & ROW as well as head of global talent acquisition projects for Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.

Finding CFOs

CFOs continue to be in high demand. Finding them is keeping many of the nation’s top recruitment operations busier than ever. In recent months, search firms of all varieties have placed CFOs at various companies. Here’s a look at a few from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Slone Partners placed Roger Moody as CFO of Clinical Genomics. Mr. Moody served as CEO and remains a board director of GlySure Limited, a leading UK-based company specializing in continuous glucose monitoring. Mr. Moody will direct all strategic and tactical financial operations for the biotechnology business.